Phil Smith
As the near 40,000 Liverpudlians who made the trip down to the capital, just 3 weeks ago, will tell you, The Wembley arch stands high above the surroundings, visible from miles and miles away, long before the stadium itself can be seen. The perfect metaphor for the four semi-finalists, who all feel like they can see the Wembley arch, before the fixture of the semi-final can be played of the 4 semi-finalists, 3 of them have played in the FA cup final within the last 3 years. Liverpool however, have the chance to play in their first FA cup final in 29 years, and their first ever outing at the new Wembley stadium.
After a defiant display against Renée Slegers’ Arsenal side in the previous round, The Reds have earned themselves a date with Chelsea, who have played 5 games in the last 3 weeks, including a 4-game gauntlet against Manchester City. Over the same period, Amber Whiteley’s side have played just 2 games. This has not only given Liverpool an edge in terms of potential fitness and fatigue, but a tactical one too. While Chelsea have been fighting on 4 fronts, and also may already have one eye on next Sundays clash with Barcelona in the semi final of the Champions League, Liverpool find themselves comfortably safe from relegation, with nothing else to play for, and so very likely have been spending the last month with their attention on Saturdays Semi-final clash.
Liverpool have lost their previous 2 games, and winning the 3 times before that, while Chelsea come into this fixture, with 3 wins, a draw, and a defeat in their previous 5 outings. With both sides fairly even on current form, it is worth noting what the fixture means to each club.
Chelsea already have their hands on the League cup, one hand on the WSL, and have taken home the FA cup itself in 3 of the past 4 years. Its impossible to deny that winning is a habit, and habitual winners is certainly what Chelsea have been in recent years. However, this means that all the expectation is on Chelsea to beat Liverpool, and progress to the final for the 4th time in 5 years. Meanwhile, the Reds are playing on house money, having already progressed further than many would have thought, they have nothing to lose, and all to gain. The last piece of silverware that’s the Women brought back to Merseyside was that of the Championship title in the 21/22 campaign. Motivation in Melwood will be palpable, as the team find themselves 2 wins away from claiming their first honours in 3 years.
Beyond the players desire to play at Wembley, there are huge financial implications at play. The prize money up for grabs for winning an FA cup semi final is £160,000, with a minimum of an extra £108,000 for finishing as runners up in the final, and a pot of £430,000 along with your name going down in history, being available for the winners of May 18’s final. The total potential winnings up for grabs at this stage comes to £590,000, which fans of the men’s game may not think sounds significant, as we live in a time where most top fight men’s players would be taking home upwards of £590k in just 3 months. However the record transfer fee for a Women’s footballer was recently set by Chelsea, at £900,000. Making the prize money for the winners, worth 65.5% of the record fee. To attempt to put this into context, 65.5% of the English record transfer fee of £115 Million, paid for by, once again, Chelsea in exchange for Moises Caicedo, is £75,3 Million
While Amber Whiteley is designated as the Interim coach, she too may see this as an opportunity to put herself in prime position to earn a long term contract at the club. It would be hard to think of a better way to put yourself in contention for the job, than by taking home a trophy that has eluded the club for 30 years. With Liverpool firmly the underdogs of the 4 remaining sides, if Whiteley were able to upset the odds, she could not only change the culture
in the dressing room but earn herself the chance to repeat the feat in years to come.
If you wrap all this together, it becomes impossible not to get excited for Saturdays Semi-final. With both short term and long-term implications, Liverpool are 2 wins away from the chance to emulate Chelsea and make winning a habit of their own. Second to Anfield itself, I can’t think of a better place to start, than the patch of grass that lies 133 metres below that very famous arch.